1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector for a flat circuit member. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flat circuit member connector which can be positively connected to conductor portions of a flat circuit member such, for example as a ribbon cable, an FFC (i.e., Flexible Flat Circuit) and an FPC (i.e., Flexible Printed Circuit).
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-49441, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
One example of conventional connectors for connection to a flat circuit member, such as a ribbon cable, an FFC and an FPC, is xe2x80x9cFlat Cable Connection Connectorxe2x80x9d disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 9-73958. This conventional example will now be described with reference to FIG. 5.
As shown in FIG. 5, the flat cable connection connector 60 comprises a housing 61, having an opening 65 for receiving a distal end portion of an FPC cable as a flat circuit member, contacts 66 which are received in the opening 65 so as to be pressed against an electric circuit pattern (not shown) on the FPC cable 62, and a slider portion 67 of metal provided in opposed relation to the contacts 66. An insulating abutment portion 68 for preventing leakage of the electric circuit pattern is mounted on the slider portion 67.
The FPC cable 62 has the electric circuit pattern formed on a lower surface thereof, and also has a plate-like reinforcing member 63 mounted on an upper surface thereof at the distal end portion thereof.
For connecting the FPC cable 62 to the flat cable connection connector 60, the FPC cable 62 is inserted into the opening 65 in the housing 61 while sliding the plate-like reinforcing member 63 along the slider portion 67. As a result, the FPC cable 62 is held between the slider portion 67 and the contacts 66, and a contact portion 66a of each contact 66 is held in contact with the electric circuit pattern on the FPC cable 62.
In the above conventional example, however, the FPC cable 62 is held between the slider portion 67 and the contacts 66 along the direction of the thickness of this cable, and by doing so, the FPC cable 62 is fixed to the housing 61, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that when the FPC cable 62 is pulled in the longitudinal direction (as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 5), the FPC cable 62 can be easily disengaged from the opening 65.
And besides, in the above conventional example, the slider portion 67 is needed for holding the FPC cable 62, and also the insulating abutment portion 68 is needed for preventing the leakage of the electric circuit pattern. Therefore, the number of the component parts is large, which has invited a problem that the production cost of the flat cable connection connector 60 is high.
Furthermore, in the above conventional example, the contact point of the contact portion 66a of the contact 66 for contact with the electric circuit pattern is defined by a shearing surface formed by pressing, and therefore the value of the electric resistance relative to the electric circuit pattern on the FPC cable 62 is not constant under severe conditions in which severe vibrations are applied to the connector, and this invites a problem that the incomplete connection is liable to occur.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a flat circuit member connector which can be positively connected to a flat circuit member, and in which the number of component parts can be reduced, and the electric resistance value can be obtained in a stable manner.
To achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector which comprises a housing, at least one terminal receivable in the housing, the terminal having a contact surface extended in a thickness direction thereof, and a fixing mechanism fixable to the housing, wherein when the fixing mechanism is fixed to the housing so that a flat circuit member having a conductor portion is held between the housing in which the terminal is received and the fixing mechanism, the fixing mechanism bends a part of the flat circuit member in a thickness direction thereof to form a bent portion thereon, and presses the bent portion of the flat circuit member against the contact surface of the terminal so that the terminal is electrically connected to the conductor portion of the flat circuit member.
Examples of the flat circuit member include a ribbon cable, an FFC and an FPC. In the case where a ribbon cable is used as the flat circuit member, insulating layers of wires are uniformly peeled, and by doing so, the flat circuit member connector of the present invention can be adopted.
The contact surface can be formed, for example, by bending a predetermined portion of the terminal into a substantially convex shape, or by bending an end portion of the terminal into a substantially L-shape in the direction of the thickness of the terminal.
In the case where the predetermined portion of the terminal is bent into a substantially convex shape to form the contact surface, a pair of opposed contact surfaces may be formed by bending two portions of the terminal spaced a predetermined distance from each other in the longitudinal direction.
In the case where the terminal has the pair of opposed contact surfaces, the bent portion, formed by bending an end portion or an intermediate portion of the flat circuit member into a substantially convex shape in such a manner that the surface of the flat circuit member, on which the conductor portions are formed, projects toward the housing, is inserted between the two contact surfaces, and by doing so, each conductor portion of the flat circuit member is held in surface-to-surface contact with each contact surface of the corresponding terminal.
In the case where the terminal has the pair of opposed contact surfaces, the fixing mechanism can have a bar-like member for fitting into the space between the pair of contact surfaces through the flat circuit member, and in this case this bar-like member can be formed integrally with a rear holder, engageable with the housing, so that the bar-like member can be held in a fitted condition.
In the flat circuit member connector of this construction, the flat circuit member is fixed in such a manner that the bent portion of the flat circuit member is held in press-contact with the contact surface of the terminal extending in the direction of the thickness thereof, and therefore the flat circuit member will not be easily disengaged from the housing even when it is pulled in the longitudinal direction, and the housing can be positively kept connected to the flat circuit member.
In the flat circuit member connector, the flat circuit member is fixed by the fixing mechanism in such a manner that the bent portion of the flat circuit member is held in press-contact with the contact surface, and thus the fixing is achieved with this very simple construction. Therefore, as compared with the conventional construction, the number of the component parts is reduced, and the production cost can be reduced.
And besides, in this flat circuit member connector, each terminal is disposed in surface-to-surface contact with the corresponding conductor portion of the flat circuit member through the contact surface, and therefore the electric resistance value can be obtained in a stable manner even under severe conditions in which severe vibrations are applied to the connector, and this eliminates the possibility of incomplete connection as encountered in the conventional construction.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the fixing mechanism includes a recess portion formed in the housing so that the contact surface of the terminal is exposed to an exterior through the recess portion, and a lid member fittable in the recess portion to cover the recess portion, and wherein the bent portion is held between the recess portion and the lid member. In the flat circuit member connector of this construction, the area of contact between each conductor portion of the flat circuit member and the contact surface of the terminal is covered with the lid member, and therefore the contact area is protected from dirt, dust, water and so on, and besides adverse effects, caused by an impact, a drag and others, can be relieved.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the flat circuit member can be bent into a substantially crank shape, that is, that portion of the flat circuit member, disposed immediately adjacent to the distal end portion thereof bent into a substantially L-shape, can be bent into a substantially L-shape, and therefore the housing can be more positively kept connected to the flat circuit member as compared with the case where the flat circuit member is merely bent into a substantially L-shape.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the terminal may have a pair of the contact surfaces, and wherein the pair of contact surfaces are spaced a predetermined distance from each other in a longitudinal direction of the terminal, and are opposed to each other.
In this flat circuit member connector, thus, the terminal has the pair of opposed contact surfaces, and therefore the flat circuit member is fitted into the space between the pair of contact surfaces in a bent manner.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the lid member may have a projection fittable in the recess portion, so that the bent portion is held between the projection and the recess portion.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the fixing mechanism includes a lid member having at least one projection, and wherein when the fixing mechanism is fixed to the housing, the flat circuit member is held between the projection and a rear end of the terminal and also between the projection and the housing.
Therefore, in this flat circuit member connector, the housing can be more positively kept connected to the flat circuit member as compared with the case where the flat circuit member is merely bent into a substantially L-shape.
In this flat circuit member connector, the pair of contact surfaces of each terminal are held in surface-to-surface contact with the corresponding conductor portion of the flat circuit member, and therefore the area of contact of the terminal with the conductor portion of the flat circuit member increases, and this further reduces the possibility of incomplete connection due to severe vibrations.